Thursday, August 18, 2016

Ch-Ch-Changes On Wilson Avenue

"All the work to help transform Wilson Avenue is paying off. The $203M
rehab of the Wilson L station was a catalyst and all of our hard work
promoting Uptown has encouraged many developers to pay attention to the
many advantages this neighborhood has to offer. As one of the
co-sponsors for the Transit Oriented Development Ordinance, I made sure
there would be more development along this retail corridor, which has
spurred a lot of economic activity, including a 10-story proposal for
the NE corner of Broadway & Wilson and another 7-story proposal at
1050 W. Wilson, situated directly west of Sonic. The former Stewart
School will soon be converted into condominiums in 2017.

As economic development begins to increase, a community can expect more
retailers to follow suit. Many people moving into the area are now
opting to go without a car because the mass transit options are so good
with easy access to Chicago's downtown area. This increase in density
that we're already seeing in this area is what has caused retailers to
become excited about Wilson Avenue. Uptown United's SSA#34 recently
added new planters in Sheridan Park, which has really changed the look
of this street.

Back in 2000, area residents were very excited when Starbucks made the
decision to move into their location at Magnolia & Wilson, making it
the only coffee shop in the area. Today, Starbucks was pushed out by 3
other independent coffee shops that have come in within the last 5
years, with a fourth one, Emerald City Coffee, opening up in a few
weeks. Click here to view a recent DNA Info article that highlights what's happening on Wilson.

The changes we are seeing have come directly from our overall vision
created from the 46th Ward Master Plan, which many of you helped
produce. It has taken time and a lot of work, but it is nice to finally
reap the rewards of the past five years."